Has anyone else had this issue with ParentPay?

[CoodleMoodle]

DD is in Y7. They use PP to take money for everything, which is fine. The canteen(s) use a thumbprint system, with a PIN if that doesn't work. They also get a picture of the kid using it on their screen and are supposed to confirm their name before the transcation goes through.

DD has a packed lunch but occasionally gets something extra, so we put a bit of money on and set it to auto top-up if it went below £5 (I think). I can see what she's bought on the website, it's usually a cake or a sandwich.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a few things DD would NEVER buy. She has ARFID so is very limited in what she eats and drinks! It was things like juice, fruit salad and slushies. I asked her if she was buying for a friend, she said no. Next few days, same thing was happening. She went to student services and they said they'd "look into it" but as far as I know they didn't do anything.

I was picking her up the other day so I went into the office and asked to speak to someone. The lady in charge of PP said they couldn't change the PIN(!?) but they'd redo her fingerprint and then refund the week's worth of food she didn't purchase.

They did all of that on Monday but someone else is STILL using her account! I immediately emailed the lady I spoke to, she got back to me today and said the kitchen manager said they won't be able to do any more "large refunds" (it came to £27 for just one week!), and in future to only keep small amounts on the account.

I'm not sure what we're supposed to do now!? And I don't understand why they can't change her PIN!? DD has promised me that she hasn't told it to anybody else and I believe her. She's got a small group of best friends from primary school, hasn't really branched out yet, and they're all lovely girls (and they spend all their break times together so it can't be one of them).

Has this happened to anyone else? Do I need to escalate it further? I don't want to be causing issues with the school so early on but I'm also not paying for someone else's lunch!

Well yes if you're not being believe I'd escalate it further

This isn’t something we’ve ever had an issue with (3 kids having gone through or going through the school system). How certain are you that your daughter isn’t buying for her friends and just doesn’t want to tell you because she’s worried about the reaction you’ll have? Have you asked if she’s buying anything in case it’s just the system misnaming stuff (eg if the person ringing up the transaction hits the wrong button but it’s the same price so they don’t correct it).

For now, I would cancel the auto top up and tell your daughter that she needs to take anything she might want into school with her. That way it doesn’t matter who is using the account - there’s nothing there to spend.

Thanks for the replies. If it's not sorted by the end of the week I'll have to escalate, I'm just not sure to who. Is it serious enough for the headteacher? I've only spoken to the lady who is apparently in charge of PP so far.

I'm 100% sure she's not buying anything for her friends. There's just no way she would do something like that and certainly not in such huge quantities! DD is very literal and very honest, too. I did ask her but she said no. They all bring in packed lunches as well and hang out together all break and lunch.

The auto topup has been cancelled but the school refunded the taken money straight back onto the account, so whoever is using it instead of DD can just use that, and the cycle continues!

She already takes a packed lunch but every now and then fancies a little cake from the canteen or something. I don't see why she shouldn't be able to have money on her account to do so! But until this gets sorted we'll have to ask her not to use it, so we can track what's actually happening.

I just do not understand why they can't change her PIN. Surely that's the issue! But I was told they can't do that, it's out of their hands... Well, whose hands is it in, then?!

And yes, the system does sometimes rename things (so once she's bought a brownie and it came up as a doughnut but was the same price). But there were a couple of days last week where she was poorly and not really eating much, so didn't buy anything at all.